Combination gas valve

ABSTRACT

A valve having substantially the same dimensions as a conventional thermocouple energizable electromagnet generally used in manually resettable safety gas valves. It is used to convert such a safety valve into a valve for supplying gas to a runner burner for remotely lighting a pilot burner by eliminating the conventional safety valve and by using it with a main burner control valve that can only open when a pilot burner flame exists at the main burner.

United States atent 1- I Battersby et al.

COMBINATION GAS VALVE Inventors: Robert J. Battersby, LomitayLouis L. Mucciante, Cerritos, both of Calif.

Assignee: Honeywell-inc, Minneapolis, Minn.

Filed: Aug. 21, 1972 I Appl. No: 282,502

US. Cl 236/15' A, 236/68 D, 431/191 rm. Cl. F24c 3/10 Field of Search 236/.15 A, 68 D;

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/l948 Caparone 431/48 Q Q n 19 o llll ' -A valve having substantially the same dimensions as a [451 Dec; 18, 1973 2,8l2,807 ll/1957 Antrim ..43l/l9lX Primary ExaminerWilliam E. Wayner Att0rneyLamont B. Koontz et al.

ABSTRACT conventional thermocouple energizable electromagnet "generally used in manually resettable safety gas valves.

It is used to convert such a safety valve into a valve for supplying gas to a runner burner for remotely lighting a pilot burner by eliminating the conventional safety valve and by using it with a main burner control valve that can only open when a pilot burner flame exists at the main burner.

10 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures COMBHNATHON GAS VALVE The invention described herein relates to control apparatus for gas burners located in furnaces or the like at positions which are difficult, if. not impossible, to reach by hand to ignite. Prior art arrangements for accomplishing the remote ignition portion of the results accomplished by this invention are illustrated in such U.S. Pats. as Branche Nos. 2,150,415, Furlong 1,991,609, Caparone 2,443,892 and Strobel By modifying a production manifold gas valve embodying a combined plug valve and thermoelectrically energized safety valve in series with a diaphragm valve controlled by a thermostat and a thermoelectrically energized controller valve, and by removingthe safety valve and replacing the conventional electromagnet used to hold the safety'valve open with a valve, a very satisfactory and inexpensive control valve was created for the above mentioned purpose. A prior art production valve of the type, just mentioned in a V8820 valve manufactured by l loiieywell'lfi c. W

FIG. 1 of the drawing is a plan view of the invention schematically showing it installed in a heating system;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary and vertical-sectional view of the invention taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a modified form of the ignitor valve portion of the invention. I

The invention'is embodied in a production manifold gas valve having a body portion 11 with an inlet boss 12 and an outlet boss 13. The interior of the valve body has an inletchamber14 communicating with the open end of a recess 15 in the inner end of a plug valve '16. The plug valve is heldin a frusto-conical recess 17 by means of a compression spring 18 which, in turn is retained by a plate 19 suitably secured to body 11. Valve 16 has a large transverse opening 20 adapted to register with a passageway 21 leading to a main burner gas control valve 22' which, in turn, is connected to outlet 13. An arcuate groove 23 is formed in the outer surface of the valve 16 and extends from the opening 20 a sufficient distance to register with a pilot burner gas passageway (not shown) in the body 11 and which leads to a small outlet boss 24, when the plug valve is in its on" position. The opening 20 registers with the pilot burner passageway when the plug valve is in its pilot position.

A generally tubular valve body 25 is internally threaded at 26 to receive a pipe coupling andis dimensioned and externally threaded at 27 to fit into a threaded bore 28, where a thermocouple energizable magnet may likewise be secured. A smaller diameter portion 25a of valve 25 has a reduced inner diameter bore 29 with an annular inclined valve seat 30 between .it and the lower end of the larger bore 31. A transverse bore 32 extends from bore 29 through the side wall of 252 to a recess 33 which, in turn, communicates with inlet chamber 14. A valve stem 34 extends thru bore 29 and has a frusto-conical head 35 that normally seats on valve seat 30. The outer diameter of the head 35 is less than the diameter of bore 31. The stem has two axially spaced ribs 36 and 37 just below the valve head with a rubber or plastic O-ring seal 38 therebetween. The lower end of stem 34 preferably extends beyond the lower end of body 25 and carries a washer 39, which is held on the stem by a C-clip 40 positioned in an an- 2 nular groove 41 in the stem. A coil spring 42 biases the valve 35 to its closed positions.

The valve 35 is moved to its dotted line open' position by means of a lever 43 rockably mounted on a pivot 44 extending between bosses 11a (one shown). The lever is actuated by a lostmotion connection consisting of a cup-shaped abutment member 45 and stem 46 extend ing into it. The upper end of stem 46 extends through bore in valve 16 and bears against the inner surface of a hollow knob '47 under the bias of a coil spring 48 extending between a shoulder on member ,45 and an annular shoulder 49 on stem 46.

The knob has a radially and outwardly extending flange 47a that bears against the inner surface of an inverted cup-shaped cover 50 which is suitably secured to body 11. The cover is notched at 50a and 50b to receive the end projections of a rectangular handgripping extension 51 of knob 47, whenthe plug valve is in its pilot position and the knob is depressed. A

' conventional splined connection between the knob and valve 16 enables the knob to rotate the plug valve and to axially move the stem 46 to pivot lever 43 and open valve 35. A coil spring 52 bears at one end against an internal shoulder on the knob and at its other end against a washer and O-ring seal to prevent gas leakage around stem 46.

As illustrated in FIG. 1, the invention is in operation with outlet 13 connected to a main burner M, outlet 24 connected to pilot burner P, outlet 26 connected to runner or zip burner R, valve 22 connected through terminal block B to one leg of a thermocouple or thermopile G and to the fixed contact of a thermostat T, and with the movable contact of thermostat T connected to the other leg of thermoelectric generator G. With theflames of the pilot burner playing on generator G and overlying burner M, a sufficient drop in tem- I perature around the thermostat to close its contacts,

would cause the valve 22 to operate and supply gas to the main burner. However, should the pilot flames become extinguished accidentally or by manually. rotating the knob 51 to its of position, cutting off gas flow to both the main and pilot burners, the pilot burner would have to be manually relit. This is accomplished by rotating knob 47 to align extension 51 with notches 50a and 50b; by depressing the knob to open valve 35 as explairied above, thus supplying 'gas to the pilot burner through valve 16 and to. the runner burner through valve 35; and then by igniting the gas flowing out of the outermost orifice of the plurality of orifices extending lengthwise thereof to ignite the gas issuing out of the pilot burner orifices. The knob may then be permitted to return to its outermost position'under the bias of springs 42, 48' and 52, to disengage extension 51 from notches 50a and 50b and to free the knob and plug valve to be moved to their on'position's. The return of the knob permits spring 42 to close valve 35 and O- ring 38 to seal against inner bore 23, against the weaker bias of spring 48, to extinguish the lighter flames of the runner burner. As the above described invention is to be used only with natural gas in such instillations as are .used for swimming pool water heaters and the like, it is only necessary that the main burner gas be cut off upon pilot outage. It is thus seem that a compact and inexpensive combination gas valve has been devised which is particularly suited for the purposes mentioned above. 1

We claim:

1. A manifold gas valve comprising a rotary plug valve having main gas and pilot gas passageways therein and an igniter valve upstream of said plug valve and connected to the main gas passageway and having an outlet for connection with a runner burner, said igniter valve having a tubular body with an externally and internally threaded outer end portion and an inner end portion, a valve seat in said body, a valve head for engaging said seat and having actuating means projecting beyond the end of siad inner end portion, and manually operable means extending through said plug valve and arranged to move said actuating means.

2. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve seat is intermediate the ends of said body and said actuating means is a stem axially slidable in said body.

3. A valve as defined in claim 2 wherein gas flow sealing means surrounds and sealingly engages said stem near said valve head.

4. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve has the same total length and diameter as a conventional thermocouple energizable power unit.

5. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular body includes two portions forming an annular groove therebetween, said valve head includes an enlarged diameter portion of said stem and is located to be opposite said annular groove when said valve head is in its closed position, and a flexible O-ring located in said. an-

nular groove and compressed against said enlarged diameter portion of said stem.

6. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said rotary plug valve is adapted to control gas flow to a main gas burner and to a pilot gas burner, manually operable means for rotating said plug valve and axially slidable with respect to said plug valve for actuating said valve head to its open position.

7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided to prevent said manually operable means from moving axially when the plug valve is in a position that permits gas to flow to the main burner.

8. The combination of claim 6 in combination with valve means that is responsive to a pilot burner flame for controlling the flow of gas to a main burner.

9. The combination of claim 6 in combination with valve means for controlling gas flow to a main burner and controlled by means responsive to the presence or absence of a pilot burner flame and responsive to the temperature of a space heated by said main burner.

10. The combination of claim 6 in combination with a main burner gas valve which is controlled by a low voltage valve and thermoelectric means constructed to be heated by a pilot burner and thermostatic means electrically connecting said low voltage valve to said thermoelectric means. 

1. A manifold gas valve comprising a rotary plug valve having main gas and pilot gas passageways therein and an igniter valve upstrEam of said plug valve and connected to the main gas passageway and having an outlet for connection with a runner burner, said igniter valve having a tubular body with an externally and internally threaded outer end portion and an inner end portion, a valve seat in said body, a valve head for engaging said seat and having actuating means projecting beyond the end of siad inner end portion, and manually operable means extending through said plug valve and arranged to move said actuating means.
 2. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve seat is intermediate the ends of said body and said actuating means is a stem axially slidable in said body.
 3. A valve as defined in claim 2 wherein gas flow sealing means surrounds and sealingly engages said stem near said valve head.
 4. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said valve has the same total length and diameter as a conventional thermocouple energizable power unit.
 5. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said tubular body includes two portions forming an annular groove therebetween, said valve head includes an enlarged diameter portion of said stem and is located to be opposite said annular groove when said valve head is in its closed position, and a flexible O-ring located in said annular groove and compressed against said enlarged diameter portion of said stem.
 6. A valve as defined in claim 1 wherein said rotary plug valve is adapted to control gas flow to a main gas burner and to a pilot gas burner, manually operable means for rotating said plug valve and axially slidable with respect to said plug valve for actuating said valve head to its open position.
 7. The combination defined in claim 6 wherein means is provided to prevent said manually operable means from moving axially when the plug valve is in a position that permits gas to flow to the main burner.
 8. The combination of claim 6 in combination with valve means that is responsive to a pilot burner flame for controlling the flow of gas to a main burner.
 9. The combination of claim 6 in combination with valve means for controlling gas flow to a main burner and controlled by means responsive to the presence or absence of a pilot burner flame and responsive to the temperature of a space heated by said main burner.
 10. The combination of claim 6 in combination with a main burner gas valve which is controlled by a low voltage valve and thermoelectric means constructed to be heated by a pilot burner and thermostatic means electrically connecting said low voltage valve to said thermoelectric means. 